Sheffield audience loves internet gaming sensation Dan TDM

Julia Armstrong

Lines snaked across Barkers Pool with 2,000 youngsters eager to get into this show but online gaming sensation Dan TDM will be unknown to many people, as he wryly acknowledged on stage.

But, whereas he has passed lots of adults by, computer gaming kids love the blue-haired one, so much so that they recognised his wife Jemma sitting next to me in the audience. I had to ask her if she was famous after she was politely approached for selfies and autographs!

Young professional online games player Dan Middleton has won an immense following on YouTube for his videos, commentating while playing World of Minecraft (TDM stands for The Diamond Minecart), plus other popular games such as Roblox.

I was expecting to see a show where Dan basically played games on stage but this was a proper show aimed firmly at his army of child fans and featuring his world of characters including pug dog Ellie and inept scientist Trayaurus.

The storyline took Dan and his friend Eve (Harry Potter actress Danielle Taboor) on a quest to get back his pet pugs, kidnapped by a computer-generated baddie.

They had to play lots of games to get the dogs back, which gave plenty of opportunities to invite young fans up on stage to help or get the audience to join in the fun noisily.

Dan, who came across as a confident and engaging performer, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He even showed off his guitar skills a couple of times.

Lots of the action involved a giant screen and clever interactive elements with characters popping on and off the screen.

It kept the young audience, including my young co-reviewer Reuben, thoroughly engaged and noisily entertained and charmed the adults along the way too.